Erin Hamlin will be Team USA's flag bearer at the PyeongChang 2018 Opening Cermony on Friday, leading her fellow U.S. Olympians in the Parade of Nations.

"It was a pretty big shock," Hamlin said, "but it is an honor and a privilege to be recognized by all of Team USA." With 244 athletes competing at the 2018 Olympic Games, Hamlin will carry the flag with the largest U.S. contingent ever.

Hamlin, 31, is making her fourth trip to the Olympics. After missing out on the podium in her first two games, Hamlin won a bronze medal in Sochi, becoming the first U.S. athlete to win an Olympic singles luge medal since the event debuted at the Olympics in 1964. It wasn't the first time she made history -- in 2009, she became the first U.S. woman to win a world championship in the luge. She kicks off her 2018 Olympic competition on February 12 with the first two runs of the luge.

Michael Phelps led Team USA in the Opening Ceremony at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Nordic combined skier Todd Lodwick was the Team USA flag bearer in 2014.

The Opening Ceremony celebrates the official start of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. The Opening Cereony will be broadcast on NBC at 8p ET/5p PT, and can be seen live by streaming at NBCOlympics.com at 6a ET.